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Press Releases

WASHINGTON –U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) called for Congress to correct the misguided military retirement cuts and highlighted the concerns Arkansans have with balancing the budget on the backs of our servicemembers during a speech on the Senate floor.

“It’s wrong to single out our servicemembers for what amounts to $6 billion over ten years, representing a .02 percent reduction. We need to right this wrong so our military retirees and their families have one less thing to worry about,” Boozman said in the speech.

Click here to watch the speech it its entirety

Arkansans are rightfully upset with this wrong approach to fiscal responsibility. Boozman shared some of the letters that he’s received during the speech.

“It is really appalling that, after sacrificing my freedoms to protect those of my fellow citizens, this is how we are treated. America is out of touch,” David Mullins of Jonesboro wrote.

“I feel that I have lived up to and beyond my part in serving my country. I have not even received my first retirement check yet and already my government is short changing me and all veterans who have served and fulfilled their end of the deal, defending this great nation,” Terry Williamson of Jacksonville wrote.

A provision in the budget agreement Congress passed in December requires a one-percent annual reduction in the cost of living adjustment for military retirees. Boozman voted against the budget because of this unfair offset.

Boozman supported the first steps at correcting this injustice by supporting the omnibus that reversed the COLA cuts for medically retired disabled veterans and those collecting survivor annuities. Boozman is a cosponsor of  S. 1869, the “Keeping Our Promise to Our Military Heroes Act,” which would fully restore military pay for all retirees, as well as a cosponsor of S. Res. 323, a resolution expressing the sense of the Senate on the need to restore military retirement pay.